The Wauneta-Palisade girls’ basketball season will continue for a little longer with wins over Maywood and Hayes Center in the D2-10 subdistrict.

Open with win over Tigers

With a 60-26 win Feb. 13 over Maywood, WP jumped out to a 9-0 lead. The Broncos only allowed three free throws in the quarter and led 15-3 heading into the second quarter.

The game continued in the same fashion and by halftime, WP held a 33-9 lead. Hannah Nordhausen scored seven first half points for the Broncos and Nicole Strand and Lesley Towery had each scored six points.

The Bronco defense held Maywood to one basket in the third quarter and by midway through the fourth quarter, WP had worked its way to a 55-13 lead, allowing the clock to run for the remainder of the contest. WP finished with a 65-16 win.

Ten Broncos scored in the game with Strand leading the way with 10 points. Nordhausen added nine points and Towery and Harchelroad each added eight points.

Towery, Nordhausen and Simpson each had six rebounds. Simpson had four assists and Towery three. Simpson also had five steals.

Fight off Hayes Center

Hayes Center used a 44-28 win over Wallace to advance to the subdistrict finals against WP.

The two teams had faced each other once this season, with WP coming out on top 39-33 Dec. 20.

WP opened the game with one free throw by Nordhausen and a basket by Towery. Hayes Center came back with four straight points to take the lead.

WP responded with a basket by Strand and, on the next possession, a three pointer by Nordhausen. A Hayes Center basket with 10 seconds in the quarter made the WP lead 8-6 heading into the second quarter.

The Cardinals opened the second quarter with a three pointer. A field goal by Cameo Rector pulled WP back into the lead, but Hayes Center headed back down the court and made a bucket to maintain a one- point lead.

Following several misses, the teams went on another three-basket binge, with WP getting baskets by Brianna Einspahr and Strand to Hayes Center’s one.

Einspahr scored once more to put WP ahead 16-13, but Hayes Center scored the final seven points of the quarter to put WP behind 16-20 at halftime.

The Bronco offense scored on its first three possessions of the second half. Nordhausen and Strand scored with assists from Strand and Harchelroad, respectively. With a Hayes Center basket added, Towery’s basket off an offensive rebound tied the game at 22.

With both teams earning back-to-back conventional three-point plays, Hayes Center took a one-point lead when WP missed the free throw.

Following one free throw by Hayes Center and one by Strand, WP took a 27-26 lead with a basket by Rector. Hayes Center was able to take a one-point lead into the fourth quarter with a basket as time ran out in the third quarter.

Hayes Center was first to score in the final stanza, opening up a three-point margin, and both teams were quiet offensively until the final 3:30 minutes of the game.

Trailing 29-30, Harchelroad made eight-straight points, including two three pointers, to help WP gain a 35-32 advantage.

A three pointer by Einspahr increased WP’s lead to 38-32 with 1:30 left in the game.

A long three pointer by Hayes Center kept the Cardinals in the game. A basket by Simpson kept the WP lead at five points and, with less than a minute remaining, Hayes Center started fouling to send WP to the charity stripe.

WP missed the front end of two one-and-one opportunities and, following a Hayes Center three pointer, Harchelroad made one free throw to bring the score to 41-38. Despite missing two more free throws late in the game, WP held Hayes Center scoreless and held on for the three-point win.

Towery pulled down 12 rebounds for WP as the Broncos out rebounded Hayes Center 33-21. Strand led WP with five assists.

Hayes Center had 16 steals in the game compared to six for WP.

District finals

Mullen has reached the district finals with a 20-4 record. The teams have had several common opponents this season.

Mullen has beaten Paxton, Wallace, McPherson County, Maywood, Brady and lost to Dundy County-Stratton.

WP has beaten the same teams and also lost to DCS. The best comparison may be WP splitting games with Brady, losing the first 45-49 and winning the second 52-37. Mullen beat Brady 52-39.

The teams also met in the district finals for volleyball with Mullen winning in three sets.

Overall in Class D2, all the top 10 teams in the point standings have all advanced to the districts finals. With the number one team in points playing the number five team and the number two team playing the number six team, WP, sitting eighth in points, will have to beat Mullen to advance to the state tournament.